Set-up container



Dec.27, 'SNL EBOLDETAL 2,1 1,711

SET-UP CONTAINER Filed Aug. 10, 193 6 v 'flenr fi'lo'weli,

Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SET-UP CONTAINER Samuel N. Lebold and Henry K. Powell, Chicago, 11]., assignors to Morris Paper Mills, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application August 10, 1936, Serial No. 95,062 v 6 Claims.

Our invention relates to containers'for the packing or packaging of commodities, and .pertains particularly-to containers of the type which may be manufactured and shipped in a knocked-down or substantially fiat condition and may be set up A general object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for a collapsible or knock-down container which may be made for the most part of paper board or the like, and which may be manufactured and shipped in a substantially flat knocked-down condition and may be setup easily and quickly at the point of use to form a strong and accurately sized container which will suitably retain and protect its contents and which will be capable of withstanding the usage to which bulky packages of ice cream or the like are subjected in transportation.

A particular object of the invention is the pro-' vision of an improved construction for such a container which is particularly adaptable for the freezing within it of a contentpf ice cream or other material which expands upon'f reezing, the container being qualified to accommodate expansion of its contents, and the joints or connections between the separately formed portions of the container being tightened and rendered additionally secure incident to such expansion of the contents.

Still another object is the provision of an improved container construction of the type above specified which may be made for the most part of inexpensive material, such as paper board or the like, and in which the margins of the several connected paper board parts, and the joints therebetween, are efi'ectively protected against external abrasion and wetting by simple and inexpensive elements which also perform the functions of securing the parts together and maintaining the container in the desired cross-sectional form. v l Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or willbe apparent to one skilled in the art upon an understanding'of the inventionor its employment in use.

For the purpose of facilitating an explanation of the invention, we show in the accompanying drawing forming a part-of this specification and hereinafter described, certain structural embodiments of it and various detailed features. It is to be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration and hence are notto be interpreted in any manner calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective-view of a tubular body .member of a sort suitable for use as a part of our improved container;

such body member; v Fig. 3 is a. broken sectional elevational view-oi Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the upper portion of a container embodying the invention, same showing the parts in their set-up or assembled relationship;

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional elevational view of the lower portion of, such a container, the parts being shown in their set-up or assembled relationship; 1

Fig. 5 is a detail in the nature of a part sectional elevationalview of a modified form of 'construction for the lower end of the container; and

Fig. 6 is a similar detail of a second modified form of construction for the lower end of the container.

'The packing of ice cream in bulk, viz., two and one-half and five-gallon packages, requires a container which, in addition to being leak-proof. is of very substantial strength, in order to withstand the usage to which it is subjected in packing, shipment and dispensing of the contents, and which is well qualified to prevent softening or weakening by wetting. When it is intended that the container be discarded after a single use, rather than returned for re-use by the packer, it is quite essential that it be of a character such that it may be supplied to the packer at very low cost. The

,cost involved in packaging, shipment and storage of containers prior to use may be minimized by supplying them to the packer in knocked down condition. The provision of a suitable construction for a container which can thus be supplied to the user in knocked down condition and set up by him quickly and with facility and which will possess the other essential characteristics of tightness, strength and durability, has presented ,a matter of considerable difllculty, particularly in view of the necessity of keeping the cost of the container very low. The present invention provides a container which meets all of these exacting requirements.

The nature of the invention will be most quickconstitutes the side walls of the container.

ly ascertained from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing.

The constructions here shown are designed to be made of quite light and inexpensive materials, and include a tubular body member 10 which Such body member may be made of sheet material in the nature of paper board of a thickness more or less approximating .045 of an inch. One form of sheet structure which may be employed is illustrated in Fig. 2, same comprising a chip center portion Illa, liner sheet Illb and kraft outer sheet We, all secured together by suitable adhesive as in customary converting practice. It will be appreciated that the board need not necessarily be of this particular structure, or that it be of laminated structure as here shown. It is important, however, that the body member be flexible circumferentially and possess substantial rigidity longitudinally and that the board of which it is made possess requisite toughness; In order to permit collapsing of the body member, it is provided with longitudinal creases constituting fold lines II, which allow the tubular body member to be compressed or collapsed into substantially flattened form.

It is also desirable to form the body member with flexing creases or slightly offset portions I2, which extend in the longitudinal, or top to bottom direction, and are spaced from one another by appropriate intervals. In such creasing or offsetting of the board, the material is not distorted to such an extent as to shear or break the fibers, but the offset is suflicient to striate the board by forming shallow grooves on one side thereof and low ridges on the other. It will be understood that these creases or striations may be pressed in the board in various fashions and in various forms and relationships. They facilitate the shaping or conformation of the body member to the desired form or contour when the container is set up. An application of suitable waterproofing material such as parafiin, may be made to the surfaces of the board, the same preferably being ironed in so as to avoid any appreciable coating which might be scraped ofi.

As closures for the ends of the tubular body member, we provide a top closure disk l4 and a bottom closure disk I5 preferably made of stiff paper board and'of circular contour, the upper closure disk I4 being of a size such as to overlap the upper end margin of the body member when the latter is set up in'approximately cylindrical form. The bottom closure disk I5 is of a diameter slightly greater than the normal internal diameter of the body member when the latter is set up in approximately cylindrical form,

but it nevertheless is of such size as to permit its being forced into the tubular body member to a position normal thereto.

For assembly with the body member and the I bottom closure disk, there is provided a relatively end margin of the body member.

non-distensible constraining member I6 of annular form which is made of a suitable durable and relatively rigid material, preferably sheet metal. It has a hoop-like portion ISa adapted to encompass the lower end portion of the body member, and an inwardly extending flange portion Ifib which is adapted to extend inwardly across the The inner margin of the flange IBb may be turned upwardly as illustrated at IBc. The hoop portion Ilia is provided, at circumferentially. spaced intervals, with inwardly projecting body-engaging members Hid. If the constraining member I6 is made of sheet metal, the members I6d may be formed as inwardly punched burrs or punch pricks.

In assembling the container from the knockeddown or collapsed form, the body member is opened or distended to a tubular form, and one end inserted within the hoop portion IBa. until its lower margin abuts the flange I612. The bottom closure disk is then forced down within the body member, past the body engaging member [6d, until it seats upon the inner portion IBc of the bottom flange. The flexing creases or offset portions I2 facilitate the shaping of the body member to the annular contour of the hoop portion Ilia, and they also facilitate the circumferential distention of the body member necessary to accommodate the slightly oversized bottom closure disk I5. Thus the lower end portion of the body member is enabled to fit tightly against the inner surface of the hoop portion Mia and, with the forcing of the bottom closure disk I5 past the body engaging member I6d into its seated position in normal relationship to the body member, the body-engaging members Iiid are caused to biteinto the outer portion of the body member board. The bottom closure disk I5 holds the lower end portion of the body member in tight binding engagement with the hoop portion I611 and in inter-engagement with the body-engaging member I6d, and by virtue of its tight binding fit against the inner surface of the body member, the bottom closure disk forms a tight bottom for the container.

For assembly with the top closure disk I4 and the upper end portion of the body member we provide a constraining member I! formed with an annular hoop-like portion I'Ia adapted to encompass the upper end portion of the'body member, and an inwardly turned flange or bead portion I'Ib which is sufficiently wide to extend across the upper end margin of the body member, and which preferably has its inner margin turned downwardly as shown. The constraining member i1 is made of a suitable durable and relatively rigid material. preferably sheet metal, and its hoop portion Ila is provided, at circumferentially spaced intervals, with inwardly extending bodyenga'ging members "0 which, if the constraining member. is made of metal, may be formed as inwardly punched burrs or punch pricks.

In the use of the container for the packing of ice cream or the like, the body member is assembled with the lower constraining member I6 and bottom end closure member I5 as above described. This provides a tight receptacle which is open at its top and adapted to receive the material to be packaged. This, in the case of ice cream or sherbets, is customarily placed in the container in liquid, or partially frozen, semi-liquid, form. Then, the top closure member 14 having been placed in the constraining member I1 and seated against the flange I lb, the hoop portion Ila of the constraining member is telescoped onto the upper end portion of the body member, and pressed down until the disk I4 is seated upon the upper edge of the latter.

The closed package is then submitted to freezing treatment, as in a freezing room. With the expansion of the contents which results from the freezing thereof, outward pressure will be exerted upon the body member, and this will have the effect of somewhat distending the latter. Such distention is accommodated or facilitated by the pliability of the board of which the body member l2, the'material in the striae or ofi'set portions being susceptible of displacement radially as the body member is drawn taut in approximately circular peripheral contour. Incident to such distention of the upper portion of the body member which is encompassed by the constraining member H, the outer surface of the board will be pressed into tight binding engagement with the hoop portion Ha and'the body-engaging members He will be caused to bite into or inter-engage with the outer portion of the body member board; Accordingly, when the contents of the container is congealed or frozen, the upper constraining member H, as well as the lower constraining member IE will be held securely interengaged with the body member and the end closures held tightly in place. I

With the form of bottom constraining member-l6 illustrated inFlg. 4, the upwardly turned marginal portion I60 spaces the bottom closure disk l5 slightly above the lower edge of the body member. In the modified construction shown in Fig. 6 the constraining member is designated by the reference numeral l6 and its bottom flange is not turned upwardly at its inner edge.

With this form of constraining member, the

' plied to the user at very low cost, and which posbody member l0 may be inserted as above described until its lower edge abuts the bottom flange of the constraining member, or an addi-v tional paper board disk l8, of such diameter as to fit within the hoop portion of the constraining member, may first be seated on the bottom flange of the constraining member, and the body member Ill then inserted until its end portion abuts the disk 18, the end closure disk l5 then being inserted within the body member in the manner and with the results above described.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 5, the bottom constraining member I6 is of the form first above described, but the body member III has its lower marginal portion l9 folded over against its outersurface and fastened thereto by adhesive to form a peripheral ledge adapted to engage under the body-engaging members lGd when the lower portion of the body member is positioned within the constraining member and in abutment with the bottom flange llib. The bottom closure disk I5 holds the lower end portion of the body member distended in, close binding engagement with the hoop portion of the constraining member and the body-engaging members 16d cooperate with the peripheral ledge to prevent withdrawal of the body member from the constraining member. It is to be noted that the upper end portion of the.body member may be likewise formed with a peripheral ledge for cooperation with the body-engaging members of the upper constraining member I! as a means for retaining the top closure in place on the body member.

, form as to have a secure purchase or engagement with the body member, but not as to pierce the entire thickness of the body member board when the body memberiis retained under constraint by the hoop-like portion. The flexibility of the body member in radial directions permits insertion of its end portions past the body-engaging elements, such flexibility being contributed in part by the longitudinal creasings l l and I2.

To facilitate opening of the container, the top closure disk It may be formed so as to be cut, broken or torn out and completely removed from the upper constraining member 11, leaving the sesses the advantages of strength, durability, collapsibility and facility of assembly.

We claim:

1. A knock-down container comprising a tubular body member made of paper board and adapted to be collapsed to flattened knocked-down form and to be set up in approximately cylindrical form, said body member being circumferentially expansible when in its cylindrical. form, an end closure diskfor closing the end of the tubular body member, and a substantially rigid annular constraining member adapted to be telescoped onto an end portion of the tubular body member, said constraining member having a hoop-like portion adapted to encompass the closure disk and an end portion of the tubular body member and an inwardly, extending flange portion adapted to overlap the outer face portion of the 010- sure disk, said constraining member being preformed with inwardly projecting body-engaging elements spaced from one another circumferentially thereof and adapted to engage'i'n peripheral portions of the tubular body member when said end portion is expanded into peripheral engagement withthe hoop-like portion.

2. A knock-down container comprising a tubular body member made of paper board and adapted to be collapsed to flattened knock-down form and to be set up in approximately cylindrical form, said body member being circumferentially distensible when in its cylindrical form, a subthereof, and a disk adapted to be inserted within the tubular body member to hold peripheral portions thereof distended in engagement with the body-engaging elements.

3. A knock-down container comprising a tubular body member made of paper board and adapted to be collapsed to flattened knocked-down form and to be set up in approximately cylindrical form, said body member having a circumferentially distensible end portion, a closure disk adapted for assembly with an end of the body member, and a relatively rigid annular constraining member having a hoop-like portion adapted to be telescoped onto said distensible end portion of the body member and an inwardly projecting flange portion adapted to extend across the end edge of the body member, said constraining ember having pre-formed body-engaging elements projecting inwardly and spaced from one another circumferentiallythereof and adapted to engage in peripheral surface portions of said end portion of the body member when it is distended within the hoop-like portion.

4. A knock-down container comprising a tubular body member made of paper board and adapted to be collapsed to flattened knocked-down 75 form and set up in approximately cylindrical form, said body member having a circumferentially distensible end portion, a relatively rigid annular constraining member having a hoop-like portion adapted to be telescoped onto said end of the body member when it is' set up, said constraining member having pre-formed body-engaging elements projecting inwardly spaced from one another circumferentially thereof and adapted to engage in peripheral surface portions of the body member, and a disk adapted to. be inserted within the body member to hold said end portion distended in engagement with said body-engaging elements.

. 5. In a container having a tubular body member made of paper board and adapted to be collapsed to flattened knocked-down form and set up in approximately cylindrical form and having an outwardly distensible end portion, a relatively non-distensible constraining member for holding an vend closure assembled on said body member, said constraining member having a hoop-like portion adapted to be telescoped onto said end portion of the body member and being provided with inwardly projecting body-engag- 'member having a distensible end portion provided with a peripheral ledge, an end closure for said body member comprising an end disk and a relatively non-distensible annular constraining member having a hoop-like portion adapted to be telescoped onto said end of the 'body member in encompassing relation to said ledge, said hoop-like portion being provided with inwardly projecting body-engagingv elements spaced-from one another circumferentially thereof and adapted forengagement with said ledge to retain the end closure onthe body member.

, SAMUEL N. LEBOLD.

HENRY K. POWELL. 

